Don’t let drizzle dampen your travel plans, as the Georgian city of Bath proves there’s plenty to do indoors. By Alissa Jenkins
Meet the Georgians
Renaissance treasures to 18th-century porcelain and paintings, plus masterpieces by iconic painter Thomas Gainsborough, can all be admired at The Holburne Museum.
Renaissance treasures to 18th-century porcelain and paintings, plus masterpieces by iconic painter Thomas Gainsborough, can all be admired at The Holburne Museum.
It’s just up the road from the Sydney Place address that Jane Austen called home for three years.
Bathe in Bath
Do as the Celts and Romans did more than 2000 years ago and soak in Bath’s naturally warm, mineral-rich waters at Thermae Bath Spa.
Do as the Celts and Romans did more than 2000 years ago and soak in Bath’s naturally warm, mineral-rich waters at Thermae Bath Spa, where an indoor bath, open-air rooftop pool, aroma-filled steam rooms and spa treatments are all for the taking.
Just a three-minute walk away are the Roman Baths, which you can tour (mostly undercover) for a taste of history.
The one to splurge on
Originally built in the 1800s, The Gainsborough Bath Spa is a hotel with a difference. with its own access to the city’s famed thermal springs, The Spa Village Bath, as it’s known, treats guests to a unique indoor bathing circuit and treatments.
And the designer guest rooms are equally gorgeous.
Cuppa tea and a bun?
The Assembly Rooms, Fashion Museum.
Once a hub for chic Georgian society (and more recently a film set for The Duchess, Vanity Fair and Pride and Prejudice), the Assembly Rooms are a grand setting for tea and a Bath bun (a local delicacy).
Then venture downstairs to the Fashion Museum for a world-class collection of historic dress.
Britain’s best
Few places are as tasty (and cosy) as the Marlborough Tavern.
For a classic British pub to while away a rainy afternoon, few places are as tasty (and cosy) as the Marlborough Tavern.
Great home-cooked gastro-pub fare, with service to match, it sits just around the corner from architectural icon, the Royal Crescent.
Weekly travel news, experiences insider tips, offers, and more.
Prepare the plastic…
Make a beeline for Milsom Street.
The city’s illustrious Bath stone streetscape is not only primed for photo ops (even in the rain), it also houses a shoppers’ paradise.
Make a beeline for Milsom Street where you’ll find more boutique (and expensive) stores at the top of the street, mainstream stores at the bottom, and a maze of offshoot laneways along the way.
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Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.
The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.
1. Easy access to good food
Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.
One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.
In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.
In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.
Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.
At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.
While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.
It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.
2. Better sleep options
Sleep deeply with Novotel.
There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.
For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.
The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.
3. More ways to move
Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)
Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.
At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.
Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.
4. Better connections
Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.
One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.
Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.
A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.
Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.
All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.
